The Sussexes’ Time cover ‘will be seen as a stab in the heart of the monarchy’

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Time Magazine cover and prominent inclusion on the Time 100 list of Most Influential People is still getting so many salty tears over in Bitter Island. They really were not expecting it at all. I keep thinking back to all of the sh-t those royal commentators talked last year, about how Harry would come crawling back to them, how he would leave his wife and children in America, and how Harry and Meghan would be broke without them. And now here we are: H&M are two of the most influential people in the world, they’re rich and successful and there aren’t enough hours in the day for them to do the kind of work they want to do. Newsweek spoke to a branding manager about just how bad the Time cover was for the monarchy:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Time100 cover is a “stab in the heart” for the royals after bombshell racism allegations, an expert has told Newsweek.

Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, told Newsweek: “Meghan and Harry landing a cover spot of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People will be seen as a stab in the heart of the Monarchy’s reputation because of the greater implicit credibility it affords them and their previous claims against the crown.”

Schiffer told Newsweek: “The strategy Harry’s built is to out gun William and to be seen as the authentic prince on a global stage and it’s been beautifully executed. They’re very disciplined at it. The combination of the leaks and the framing of themselves in part as victims of certain behaviour and on top of that connecting in such authentic ways with global Gen Z and Millennial audiences and allowing them to actually feel what it’s like to interact with a member of the royal family, that on a human level has been powerful.”

Atima Omara, a political strategist for the Democrats who spent 15 years on youth engagement, said Harry and Meghan will make more of a “unique contribution” since they left royal life. She wrote on Twitter: “Great photo. Harry and Meghan are a couple from the British Royal Family that will find a way to make a unique contribution more than they would have actually staying a member of ‘the firm’ as they call it.”

[From Newsweek]

The thing is, I’m not sure if Harry was consciously *trying* to “out gun William.” I think Harry has always known that he’s more charismatic and interesting than William, just as Harry was probably always told throughout his life that he needed to tamp down his natural charisma so that Baldingham can shine. But I think when Harry left, his goal was to simply show his family that they f–ked around and now they’re going to find out. It wasn’t so William-specific, it was more like Harry being pissed off at the institution. Anyway, yeah… all of that is why there’s so much saltiness happening over there. They know it’s bad for them when the Sussexes are thriving.

Cover & IG courtesy of Pari Dukovic for Time.

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139 Responses to “The Sussexes’ Time cover ‘will be seen as a stab in the heart of the monarchy’”

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  1. Rapunzel says:

    Harry doesn’t need Time Magazine to outgun TOB. William always brings a butter knife to a gunfight. Otherwise, he’d shoot himself in the foot.

    • Elizabeth Regina says:

      TOB has just done another announcement of the announcement. I look forward to the day when the keens announce a fully formed, well thought out and realised project instead of tagging themselves onto the latest fancy. They will always be outsmarted and outgunned by the Sussexes despite having the weight of the British press and establishment behind them. That must hurt.

    • L84Tea says:

      Harry outguns William by simply breathing.

      • Lorelei says:

        Agreed…I don’t think this guy has a clue what he’s talking about. Maybe I’m incredibly gullible, but my honest opinion is that Harry just wanted to live his own life, and live it differently than the way it was when he was a working royal? He didn’t uproot his entire life and family and move to another continent to “out-gun” his brother ffs. (That would be so pointlessly spiteful it’s something I can see the Cambridges doing, but not Harry.)

        I don’t even know wtf he means by that snarky “framing themselves as victims” line…is he implying they lied on Oprah?? And what “leaks” is he referring to? There are leaks alright, but they’ve never come from the Sussexes. And the Sussexes did not decide to be on this list as their final crowning achievement to out-gun Elegant Bill, TIME chose them to be included.

        This dude sounds like a budget Dan Wooton. It sounds like it’s all William’s projection, being filtered through this guy in order to get published.

      • Tamara W says:

        Lorelei, that guy is a fraud, I looked up his website. He’s not credible in any way, shape or form, which is probably why Newsweek decided to use him.

    • Moxylady says:

      Omg fine. Stab away. Whatever. Over the salty tears from the Bitter Isle.

      • Emma says:

        The faux outrage from these flunkeys and hit men is always so weirdly theatrical and overstated. No one can really think one cover is a “stab in the heart” to a thousand-year-old monarchy.

        Now Andrew, can they remember their real problem is the son their queen loves and protects, who unfortunately has all number of bad habits and criminal associations and oh whoops is actually being forced into court for raping a sex trafficked minor right now?

        But OH MY GOD Meghan wore pants. Not to mention her wedding ring. Geez.

    • bananapanda says:

      I’m reminded of the scene in the Crown where Phillip is telling Elizabeth that every generation in her family of royals has a Dull One and a Fun Charismatic One, who garners more attention from the press and public.

      The funny thing about Time is that it’s free media. While H&M have worked for it, they didn’t have to push the story through back channels like W&K do in the UK.

  2. Izzy says:

    Geez. How can anyone in PR or comms be that stupid? They wanted out, were told to support themselves, and they did. They wanted to work and make a difference, were told they couldn’t because it makes everyone else in the family look bad, but they are no longer beholden to that. If the Sussexes working makes the rest of that family look lazy (they ARE), then that is on the firm, isn’t it?

    • Elizabeth Regina says:

      They are too stupid to think that deeply being blinded with taking revenge on the Sussexes at all cost.

    • (TheOG) Jan90067 says:

      This reminds me of my older brother. He always *wanted* things (money, a car, “toys”) but he didn’t do much of anything to earn it. He, being the oldest AND a “boy”, got most of the world handed to him. To say he was lazy was an understatement. His nickname was “Mañana”, as whenever he was told to do something (like take out the trash) it was always “later” or “tomorrow”. He always did the bare minimum or tried to get me or my sister to do his sh*t (nope!).
      He lived off the cash he got for his Bar Mitzvah until he was about 20 yrs old. He dropped out of college with ONE semester to go when he started dating a 30 yr. old with a 5 yr old child. My parents said “HELL NO” to supporting that. So he moved in with her, and SHE finally said “HELL NO” to supporting him once the shiny, new sex sheen wore off lol

      This is basically William. He was brought up to believe the sun rose and set on him, he could do *anything* or *nothing* that he did/didn’t want to do, and he can do *no* wrong. He never had to learn how to get along with people, or really learn *how* to maneuver through life because there would *always* be someone behind him to clean up after him and do the heavy lifting. Until Harry said, “HELL NO” to his behavior and took his family and left.

      And William (and the rest of the Heir Force ranks) are still wondering why no one is cleaning up after them.

    • iconoclast59 says:

      @Izzy, Exactly. It drives me bonkers how the media conveniently “forgets” about H&M’s half-in, half-out offer that was flatly rejected by the Firm. Charles said, “My way or the highway,” and now H&M are cruising along that highway in a Lamborghini convertible, top down, sun in their eyes, wind in their hair, and thoroughly enjoying the ride. The BRF should remember that, when they point a finger, three are pointing back at them.

  3. OriginalLala says:

    To be fair, everything H&M do is seen as a “stab in the heart” to the BRF lol.

  4. Jais says:

    The authentic prince on a global stage! Beautifully executed with discipline!
    Lol, no, I don’t think that was Harry’s goal but it’s what happened and you love to see it.

    • bettyrose says:

      IKR? If his goal was to be seen as “the authentic prince” he wouldn’t have left the commonwealth. It’s not his problem that the RF and RR continue to talk about him in royal terms, even though he’s now a straight up California philanthropist with global impact.

  5. KinChicago says:

    Honestly, at this point, I am sure whatever brand of toothpaste they use is “a stab on the heart of the monarchy.” How dare they.

    Meanwhile, Andrew’s Pedophile rape trafficking welcome.

    • Emma says:

      Right? They always hyperventilate if Meghan so much as appears in public, while the ones who are actual serious problems for the image and future of the monarchy, Andrew and Charles, are conveniently ignored.

      • lanne says:

        It’s amazing how this American working woman is somehow supposed to stop working, stop speaking, stop appearing in public. She’s supposed to walk three steps behind her husband and keep her eyes cast downward and not speak until spoken to. What the hell? This is 2021! The Taliban is allowing women in Afghanistan more rights than the British establishment want for Meghan. How is this okay? Should the motto of the royal family be: “The British Monarchy, where married-in women have no freedom and no agency. It’s Gilead up in here!”

  6. lanne says:

    An institution that willingingly throws away its strongest ambassadors deserves everything it gets. This is bad management for the Firm, and demonstrates that the Firm is run by bad managers.

    The royal family is a bastion of white supremacy. Its the ultimate nepotism racket. The problem is that there’s no hiding these facts in a social media world. In the past, a more charismatic family member could be silenced in favor of the firstborn, but not anymore.

    Harry and Meghan’s rising populariry is antethetical to the Firm. I’m curious what they will do about it. Will they try something nefarious? Are they that stupid? I hope Harry and Meghan refuse to share any security or financial information with the firm. They may be Harry’s family, but I hope he knows that he cannot trust any of them.

    • Mac says:

      The BRF have nothing over H+M and they know it. They are painting themselves as the victim in a sad attempt to garner what little sympathy may be left for them.

      • fluffy_bunny says:

        Pretty sure there’s no sympathy left for them. They’ve got a pay to play future king, a pedo prince and a lazy good for nothing future future king. And they alienated the superstars who could have brought them good attention.

  7. Moderatelywealthy says:

    Are all RF specialists incapable of saying anything remotely intelligent and insights? Is there a clause on their contracts that say they have to sound tone deaf and throw mud on anyone that not in direct line? Or they are really so afraid they will implode of a monarchy dies not exist that they go overboard in defending their overlords for any perceived insult?

    • BeanieBean says:

      I had to wonder if this was partly due to a Newsweek writer taking digs at the competition, Time. Time got a lot of press on this, and still is.

    • Lorelei says:

      @ModeratelyWealthy this doesn’t apply to the dude quoted in this particular post, but your comment reminded me of it, so I apologize for reply-jacking, but can I just say that it drives me absolutely fcking insane that all of the “experts” who so confidently gave their reviews of the Oprah interview before they’d even freaking SEEN IT continue to get work?? I’ve seen that one idiot — Richard Fitzwilliam, I think? — in particular a few times over the past couple of months.

      How? Why? What is happening? They were *proven to be liars* with zero credibility, yet it seems like that entire incident was forgotten immediately and they’ve all gone back to getting paid for spouting out their uninformed takes on anything to do with the Sussexes. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills whenever I see one of them giving an interview in which they share their royal “expertise” 🙄

      I get that we should know by now to not expect anything better from these people — the news about Piers Morgan yesterday was so upsetting and disturbing — but I can’t help it. It’s just so egregious to me that everyone. watched. them. lie. yet it seems to have made zero impact on their careers. I hope karma comes hard for all of these people. Their entire ecosystem is so gross.

      • Debbie says:

        Part of the problem, at least w/ those “experts” who gave an opinion and previews about a program they had never seen because it hadn’t aired yet (The Oprah Interview), was the experiment was made and the results were reported. However, the rest of the media who are usually so M&H obsessed, neglected to follow up by talking about how those “experts” had messed up. In other words, there was no shame attached to it, no cries of “scandal” in journalism, so their employers just kept employing them, business as usual.

  8. MrsRobinson says:

    On Tiktok, @colormeloverly has a funny bit as if she’s Buckingham palace pr and Will & Kate are calling, mad about that Time cover 😅

  9. LaraW” says:

    Wtf is this?

    “The combination of the leaks and the framing of themselves in part as victims of certain behaviour and on top of that connecting in such authentic ways with global Gen Z and Millennial audiences and allowing them to actually feel what it’s like to interact with a member of the royal family, that on a human level has been powerful.”

    1. What leaks?

    2. “Framing” of themselves as “victims of certain behaviour”?? I mean the spelling and reference to “the crown” are dead giveaways that this consultant is from the UK. But “certain behaviour”???

    Call a f-ckin spade a spade. It’s called RACISM.

    3. I find this telling: “allowing [Millenials and Gem Z] to actually feel what it’s like to interact with a member of the royal family … on a human level has been powerful.”

    No. What has been powerful is not the interaction with vaunted Royalty, but the struggles they went through and how Harry stood by Meghan. This is a fundamental difference between the US and what seems like the default (as represented by this consultant dude) UK mindsets. The US has been fascinated, but there’s no reverence. What the consultant says here implies that the RF does NOT interact with others on a “human level,” nor should they be expected to do so. They imply that the success of Harry and Meghan can be explained by this niche role they’ve carved out for themselves as being the “relatable royals.”

    Their story is beyond being royals. In fact, their story is about REJECTING royal status.

    • sunny says:

      This is very good analysis. 🙂

      • TEALIEF says:

        @LARAW” that’s how I read it. This branding manager framed the choices they made as stratagem, snide calculations and manipulations. Maybe that’s how he works, it’s pathetic. If a magazine cover is a reputational stab in the heart, it was self inflicted. Long may they bleed.

    • MF1 says:

      “Their story is beyond being royals. In fact, their story is about REJECTING royal status.”

      Yes, yes, yes. And that’s actually part of the secret of their popularity. We (Americans) like them because they rejected royality. That’s the most American thing you can do!

    • Angelica Schuyler says:

      @LaraW, I think you’ve honed in on something crucial to the situation. The British establishment just doesn’t “get it” that Americans don’t show reverence toward royalty. We admire people for what they do, but not just because they were born into a certain family or hold a particular title. This has lead the BM & the BRF to miscalculate on every turn just how successful H&M are, and will continue to be. American interest may begin with their celebrity status by virtue of being royal, but it does not end there.

      America is all about the money, and for H&M, the “money” lies in their successful charitable work.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Angelica, agreed, Laraw nailed it, and ITA with everything you said, too. All I’ll add is that in order to console themselves over the fact that Americans DGAF about royalty, they act as if all Americans are idiots. (I mean, many are, but not because they reject the concept of royalty!)

        It’s more pleasant, I guess, for them to tell themselves that Americans are too stupid to “get” why they’re so special, instead of realizing that being “royal” is not viewed as the pinnacle of one’s existence outside of their little bubble.

    • Alarmjaguar says:

      Hear, hear

    • Moxylady says:

      Yes. Everything you said. I started to write something similar but you captured it perfectly

    • Merricat says:

      Well said.

    • Jasper says:

      Thank you! Precisely what I wanted to say but a lot more coherently.

  10. Amy Too says:

    “ The combination of the leaks and the framing of themselves in part as victims of certain behaviour…” Um what? What “leaks”? They told their story with their own mouths on TV where we could see them speaking. That’s the opposite of leaking. And the framing themselves as victims? Like they’re consciously trying to victimize themselves for sympathy? And “certain behaviour.” You can tell this is a Brit because of the spelling but even if they used the American spelling of behavior, you could still tell it was a Brit because they refuse to say the word “racism.”

  11. girl_ninja says:

    A stab in the heart of the monarchy? Damn those f**kers are dramatic.

    • Persephone says:

      The way I cackled at this headline.

    • lanne says:

      They still think that “We Hate Meghan” is a viable media strategy. One they can keep using for the next 500 years. That’s how stupid these mfers are!

      • Lorelei says:

        @Lanne, I swear to god, I wonder so frequently if/when any of them will realize that at this point, they are hurting only themselves and their own bottom lines by continuing to smear Meghan as she becomes more popular and successful worldwide.

        They chose the wrong side (clearly!) but instead of course-correcting, they doubled down, and they make themselves look more and more pathetic each day. The entire world now views the British media as a joke, and they did it to themselves.

  12. Cessily says:

    I have been very disappointed in the articles from Newsweek some are nothing but repackaged tabloid fabrications. These opinion articles on how they think or feel or the motivation for there actions is pure conjecture. (I have canceled my Newsweek subscription because of this, I do not want support the British tabloid trash fabrications wrapped in a Newsweek cover).

    If the Royal family has issues it’s the rot within.. The Sussex’s have nothing to do with the scandals and criminal investigations involving more than one of the Royals still residing in the UK.

    The Sussex’s deserve the Time 100, and I hope more reputable news outlets keep reporting on the positive and needed work they do and support. I’m just excited that my copy of Time is here.

    • MsIam says:

      Newsweek was bought by some right wing outfit. I’m not sure if its under Murdoch or not. But they sing the same tune as his garbage empire so not much difference.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        This explains the downfall of Newsweek dated February 2018.
        https://slate.com/technology/2018/02/what-went-wrong-at-newsweek-according-to-current-and-former-staffers.html

        (Apologize in advance for going slightly off topic.)

        It’s also why I believe Levin never had an interview with Harry that Newsweek ran June 21, 2017. She was present at some of his events(she didn’t acompany him) but if you go back and read that “interview” the only things that are exclusive are her opinions. That story is constructed from other stories, background information already publicly known and her opinions/projections.imo AL used Bryony Gordon’s April 2017 podcast with Harry (recently the Daily Express ran a story by Charlie Pittock referencing AL’s “interview” with Harry and one of the quotes absolutely came from Bryony’s podcast), parts from January & February 2017 stories Rebecca English had in the Daily Mail about Harry’s events (as of this moment AL’s name wasn’t attached to those stories and I couldn’t find where she wrote about them separately). The Sun ran a story in March 2017 (don’t know if it was true or not) about Harry & Meghan supposedly going to the London Natural History museum to see the dinosaurs. AL brought that up in the Newsweek article. She wrote they went there to “commune with the dinosaurs in private”.

        June 2, 2017 the BBC announced Harry and William were participating in their Diana documentary. In the documentary Harry said he didn’t have an opinion whether it was right or wrong to be asked to walk behind Diana’s coffin, but looking back he was glad to be part of that day. AL claimed in her story that Harry said “no child should be asked to do that”. Which is a comment the BM and others made a long time ago. After the BBC documentary came out, different stories came out about how Harry changed his story/mind from the Newsweek/AL “interview”. Using words that AL has thrown out at Harry & Meghan, there are numerous holes in her’s and Newsweek’s allegations of having an exclusive interview with Harry, and the idea of it is quite phoney and unrealistic.

        Now, if she can come out with a tape of that interview, I would be wrong. If anyone has the chance to have an exclusive interview with Prince Harry they would be taping it.

        Since being bought and sold a number of times over the past 10+ years (at one point it was the Newsweek Daily Beast Company), Newsweek lost the credibility it once had.

    • Jais says:

      The main royal writer for Newsweek is Jack Royston. Don’t know anything about him except he is not a Sussex fan at all. Saying that based on his writing since his views are pretty much the same as the uk tabloids with the snark slightly dialed down for the us audience. Sometimes, when it’s unavoidable, there are some positive things grudgingly said about the sussexes.

      • Amy Bee says:

        He’s a former royal reporter with Sun and was one of the reporters that the Meghan made Kate cry story was leaked to.

      • Lurker25 says:

        Didn’t Thomas Markle drop his name today in that Australian interview that was quickly pulled? Pretty sure TM said Jack Royston and another guy set up the fake papped/photoshoot/whatever to stop the wedding. (Implicit that RF was ultimately behind it all.)

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @Lurcker25 – I think you are correct.

    • Cessily says:

      @MsIam and @Jais I can only hope more print and digital subscribers cancel like I did.

  13. Becks1 says:

    I mean, Harry IS outgunning William, but I don’t think its deliberate. I think Harry is just finally being the best version of Harry he can be, because he doesnt need to answer to anyone but himself and his wife, and he is finally able to spread his wings, so to speak.

    it’s not his fault that the best version of Harry is heads and shoulders above William.

    (Actually I shouldn’t say it’s not deliberate, I think Harry is acting very deliberately and is trying to make major moves right now, and I do think part of it is showing the royals just what they lost, but I don’t think its all about that.)

    • MsIam says:

      The Sussexes have done exactly what they said they would do. It was all in their statement on the website. To me it shows they had a plan and didn’t just run off. The royals didn’t believe the Sussexes meant business but boy they do now, lol.

    • Amy Too says:

      This was so written from the royal point of view where everything is a competition to crush the other family members and absolutely everything one does is some kind of Machiavellian strategy to get good PR and trick people into liking you. Oh, and where anytime your point of view gets out into the media, it’s a “leak,” it has to be a leak because that’s how royals talk to each other and the public. The idea of Harry and Meghan saying words with their own mouthes on national television where we can literally see their mouthes moving—it’s not just a quote somewhere that they can claim was taken out of context or misrepresented if they want to change their mind—is completely alien to the RF and the reporters, so much so that they automatically categorize any info they know about Harry and Meghan, their story, or their feelings as a “leak.” I think that one little detail in this article was a fascinating admittance of the royal media strategy. Anytime a reporter knows something directly about a royal it’s because that royal leaked it anonymously to them, as opposed to saying it in public and owning that statement.

      The overall thesis was correct: Harry and Meghan thriving is a stab in the heart to the British royal institution. But the “why” and “how” and “how come” are all filtered through the lens of “if William was the one winning, how would he be doing it and why?”

    • Lorelei says:

      @Becks, EXACTLY! They’re incapable of understanding why anyone would willingly walk away from the BRF, and it seems they’ve landed on “spite” as the only reason Harry might have done what he did.

      But Harry is just living his life; his brother is the one driven by jealousy and spite. Harry is simply more likable, more interesting, and more popular than all of the Magnificent Seven put together — but he can’t help that. It’s not a “persona” he carefully crafted, it’s just who he is. The rest of the family is pretty much assigned a “character” to play, and Harry was so over that.

      I agree with you that a small part of Harry is deliberately showing the royals what they lost after their treatment of him became so abominable, but that’s just sort of a bonus to all of his success. He isn’t fueled by the need to feel superior, like Elegant Bill is.

  14. Elizabeth Regina says:

    He already outgunned William by being the most popular member of the royal family in the past. He was thrown to the wolves to cover the keen one’s behaviour and that gave him the grit to survive. Harry marrying Meghan and the couple becoming a powerhouse sealed Billy’s fate. You cannot compete where you don’t compare.

  15. SaySo says:

    How f$%Ked up is your perspective when everything someone does while simply living their life is a “stab in the Heart” to you. Wow, that’s some strong delusion.

    • molly says:

      Oh no! Harry and Meghan are giving away money to charities, celebrating veterans, and telling people to get vaccinated! It’s a total stab in the heart of people half way around the world who aren’t involved or impacted by any of that.

      • Merricat says:

        Lol, molly.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Molly it’s sadly hilarious that your comment, while meant as sarcasm, truly does sum up the situation perfectly. That IS exactly how so many people really do feel. What a sad life, jfc.

      • Emma says:

        You’re exactly right but I can’t help thinking it does anger the royals because they’re all about rapacity and they don’t like to see actual charity and compassion being highlighted and promoted . . . so sad.

    • taris says:

      it seems the royals and their supporters have (tacitly) admitted that they will forever be outshined by harry and meghan, so their plan of attack is to:
      •hysterically attack h&m at every turn, for the stupidest of things
      •convince themselves that the sussexes are ‘irrelevant’, only to get a rude awakening when stuff like this happens (that they, of course, had no idea was coming, lol)
      •criticise them for their ‘wokeness’, ‘victimhood’, etc (further alienating the demographics they need, btw); h&m shedding light on important issues like racism and mental health is a huge reason why they’re popular and relatable (and also why they made time’s list) – the royalists really just don’t get it
      •stake a claim on the sussexes and their success
      •admonish h&m for doing x, only for them to turn around and do exactly the same thing and expect praise

      it’s honestly soo exhausting…

      • Lorelei says:

        @Taris I’ve wondered this before, but I guess the fact that I continue to have to ask gives me my answer — but won’t people tire of the nonstop, *extremely* repetitive Sussex bashing at some point? How hasn’t it happened already?? Is there really such a large, loyal audience with an enormous appetite for their utter crap that makes it impossible, financially, at least, for them to stop?

        They just repeat the same crap over and over again. To the point that we literally all know exactly how many bathrooms they have. That is so ridiculous that it’s comical.

        Yesterday I saw an article that said, “39-year-old Meghan…” because clearly they just copied and pasted from an older article. They JUST FINISHED being outraged about the 40 x 40 initiative (!!), which they bitched about nonstop for weeks, then proceed to copy an old article calling her 39.

        It’s a farce, and it’s so exhausting to witness even though I only read whatever Kaiser covers here; it’s not like I go searching for everything printed about them. How are people not tired of the same crap by now? I do not understand!! Even if I was a racist Meghan hater, I think I’d be sick of it by now. It’s so pathetic.

    • Monica says:

      Classic narcissism.

  16. 2cents says:

    It all boils down to a jealous big brother who can’t embrace his younger brother’s success and happiness even after 5 years! In effect the monarchy has outgunned itself from the global stage by exiling H&M.

  17. Rai says:

    One of my quarantine bad habits is reading the DM royal coverage page… between the angry & bitter “royal experts” is this new wave of low key positive Sussex coverage. It reads like the firm is attempting to re-set with Meghan and Harry, centered on the jubilee. They had no idea how much impact a freed Harry would have globally. And now, that half in / half out is looking like a failed opportunity.

    Charles is a lot of things but even he’s not stupid. Harry is needed and the BRF is in free fall. William can’t fix it or even comprehend the solution. It will be interesting to see how it plays out but I absolutely expect to see Harry, Meghan and their babies on that damn balcony next summer along with some sort of royal reconciliation and partnership with their charitable foundations.

    • SunRae says:

      I don’t think H&M have any business being on that balcony. It would negatively affect their brand. I don’t know why it’s even considered a possibility. You can’t do the Oprah gig and tell of all that ugliness and then put your biracial kids on the same platform. It’s not gonna happen.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        But they could… they have been very clear that the old dame wasn’t the senior royal saying heinous, racist things. They have been very clear that they stay in touch with her. They could easily show up as a gesture of good will toward Harry’s grandmother then split. It wouldn’t negatively impact their brand; quite the opposite- rising above the abuse and showing up for granny, which is what the jubilee is- a celebration of and paying respect to granny. They’d look more human, more “royal”, more magnanimous, more humanitarian.
        The. Bigger. People.

      • Lady D says:

        I don’t think it will happen either, but Harry’s actions concerning the royal family have surprised me before.

    • one of the Marys says:

      Harry might be willing to do that if the performance of royal reconciliation was meaningful to him. Otherwise I can’t see it happening. He doesn’t need them and there’s too much water under that bridge. And William would have to be on board to some degree and there’s NO indication of that

  18. TigerMcQueen says:

    So a magazine cover is a ‘stab in the heart’ but Chuck’s grifting, and Andrew’s being a nonce, Elegant Bill’s doing nothing all day, and the general racism within the firm isn’t.

    OK. Got it.

  19. Amy Bee says:

    The thing is Harry was well aware of his place in heirachy but he was of the belief that if he was going to leave the Army to be a full-time working royal that he should be allowed to do work that he had a passion for. I have no doubt he was told he couldn’t do certain things because he would overshadow William and Kate and that he should be 50% less just as Meghan was told. I suspect that dictate was part of the reason he had anxiety on engagements. I don’t know if the Time 100 is stab to heart of the monarchy but it says that Harry and Meghan have moved on from the Royal Family and are players on the world stage in their own right.

  20. Mel says:

    I think they just wanted a life of their own, make their own decisions and not have people who supposedly love him treat his wife and children badly. Everything else happens because they knew they needed to make money to literally protect themselves. They could have had all that Hustle for the firm, but……

  21. Honey says:

    H and M are such amazing people and a tribute to two countries. Stab in the heart is such a hideous insult, given how much they have given to others.

  22. RoSco says:

    Interesting, I never really considered that Harry was trying to pull an “I’ll show you” to get back at the Royal family. I think he and Meghan were just fulfilling the message of their wedding song (This Little Light of Mine) and stop dimming himself so much – being out of William’s orbit he wasn’t worried about eclipsing his brother anymore.

    • Midnight@theOasis says:

      Now that you mention the wedding song “This Little Light of Mine” it makes sense why they played it at their wedding. Now, in hindsight, knowing what they went through, they were sending a message. They were going to let their light shine regardless of the toxic BRF and BM.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        Meghan is like six moves ahead-no, make that a dozen- in the salty family chess game.

      • Lorelei says:

        @NotSoSocialButterfly, I think you’re wildly overestimating the Windsors by assuming they’re even playing chess with Meghan. They’re still on Chutes & Ladders. At best.

      • TEALIEF says:

        @Lorelei forget the Chutes, it’s Snakes and Ladders this brain trust is playing, except the keep biting and swallowing their own tails.

  23. Lizzie says:

    Apparently even these hack’s who are clearly biased against the Sussex are admitting their success and how it highlights how insignificant the Dolittles are.

    • taris says:

      it’s impossible to overstate how sad the monarchy is at this point. it’s just so painful to watch.

      it’s hilarious, though, to see the ‘experts’ continue to get everything soo wrong, and begrudgingly acknowledge the sussexes’ global impact.

      sometimes some of them fail to even contain their annoyance with william and kate for being so bland and being outshined. even when they flatter the royal family, it’s just so forced.

  24. LP says:

    Rather than intentionally outshining anyone, the Sussexes remind me of what Elizabeth Bennett says to Lady Catherine de Bourgh:
    “I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.” They’re going to do what seems best to them without reference to anyone else, and I love it!

  25. Case says:

    It also makes the BRF look even more idiotic and racist because they treated this dynamic, intelligent couple so horribly that they felt the need to leave the country.

    But H&M aren’t doing this to show up the royals or make them angry. They’re just living their lives.

    • Amy Too says:

      The having to literally escape the entire country, the entire UK, the whole commonwealth, really illustrates how bad it was. This wasn’t just a “we need to take a little break from royal work, but we still want to be close enough for visits with the family.” The fact that when the pandemic broke out and borders were closing while they were in Canada, they thought “we have to get to the United States!” instead of “we have to get back to the UK,” is so telling. They knew they were going to be stuck wherever they went, for who knew how long, and that they would only be able to see the people who lived within driving distance of them, that they would only be able to do major in person work in whichever location they were in, and they chose America! This wasn’t just a little vacation home to see Megan’s mom. This was a full on commitment to making an entirely new life in an entirely new country, without the support of any of his family members or anyone within the royal institution (lawyers, PR people, office staff, foundation staff). They chose to be isolated with no house, not a lot of money, no immediate work prospects, and no built in security like they had on the grounds of Windsor, half way across the entire planet during a pandemic of indeterminate length rather than go back to England where they had a house on secure grounds, where they had charitable and business contacts, where they had at least some good family members like Eugenie, where someone would have paid for them, just because that’s where Will and Charles and the British media were. You would think anyone’s gut instinct during a worldwide shut down would be to go home, even if you were in a tiff with your family or didn’t love your job, because it’s home and at least you know what to expect there, and you’d rather be trapped at home than somewhere totally new. But their home was so toxic, their work so toxic, their family members so toxic, their coworkers so toxic, that they chose international relocation with no immediate/guaranteed business prospects instead.

  26. Ariel says:

    It still all boils down to racism and pettiness. His family could choose to be proud of the work he and the Duchess are doing.
    They just can’t. It’s sad for the RF as humans.

  27. taris says:

    harry and meghan never purposefully “outgun” anybody. they just do their thing with heart and they shine naturally. it’s not their fault prince baldingham and duchess karen of klan kambridge are insipid as hell.

    this is how it is now: the sussexes will continue to do their thing and thrive and be recognised by their peers as leaders and global icons.
    salty island better get used to it. and the firm and their moronic supporters need to get it through their thick skulls that not everything the montecito royals do is about *them*.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Taris, true, but that’s the only way these people can view anything— I mean, we’re talking about a group who literally has a popularity contest via poll every damn week which people take seriously.

      They are so calculated and manipulative in the way they live their lives, I don’t think that they can genuinely comprehend that not everyone is like that, especially not a “blood prince” 🙄

      They cannot wrap their tiny heads around the fact that for many people, a title is meaningless, and certainly not worth striving for even if it makes your life miserable.

  28. HeatherC says:

    Anything Harry and Meghan do, including breathing, that does not involve crawling back in defeat and shame is seen as a stab to the heart of the monarchy, attack on the queen, trying to upstage whoever.

    Give me a break. I hope they continue to flaunt their success and have other famous influential people speak so warmly and supportive of their accomplishments.

  29. Merricat says:

    Psshhht. Everyone knows the British monarchy has no heart.

  30. Marivic says:

    Stab in the back is also more like it. They were stabbed in the back by Harry’s own brother William and the rest of the jealous Royals, their courtiers and the pandering rota clowns. Up to now the stabbing has not stopped. Sad.

  31. mellie says:

    So, Pedo Andy, the racism, the affairs, the laziness, the wastefulness of taxpayer $$’s….none of that is a stab in the heart of the monarchy, but these two gentle souls are? Give me a break!

  32. Leigh says:

    Someone on Twitter (lovingly, I want to add) pointed out that the Time cover looks like Harry is Meghan’s hairdresser, and he’s just turned her around to look in the mirror to point out what he’s done to her look. I can’t unsee it now.

    • Jan says:

      They used a comment an over tanned tabloid nonce use on the UK Lorraine show.

    • Lizzie says:

      Hairdresser comment should get an award for the number of cut and pastes, right down to ‘I can’t unsee it now’.

      • Haylie says:

        These “hairdresser” trolls are super pathetic. They gave multiple accounts to post the same meme 100 times on message boards and social media, trying (and failing) to make it a thing.

        Meanwhile, TOB has been the victim if a worldwide drag 3 times this year for false claims that he’s sexy and attractive. And it didn’t take bots to make it happen.

  33. Maria says:

    Good!

    I’m also loving the salty tears. Although it’s unconscionable that some people are harassing José Andrés on Instagram for what he wrote about the Sussexes.
    The same people who declared Kate’s Afghan-refugee-military visit as an example of how selfless she is and how she is the one who does real hard work (I feel like my brain is combusting as I read comments like this).

    • Midnight@theOasis says:

      Do those idiots think that if they harass and badger people enough they will disavow and no longer associate with the Sussexes? How crazy can people be?

      • Amy Too says:

        Don’t they get that they’re providing proof of what Meghan and Harry told everyone they were dealing with and had to get away from? If you’re hearing from Harry and Meghan about the crazy hate campaign against them and anyone they associate with, and you still think it’s worth it to work them because you find their strength and determination to do good despite the attacks on their reputation applaudable, and then you get attacked immediately by those same haters, doesn’t that just prove to you (and everyone else) that yes, the delusional Meghan and Harry hate campaign is real, and they ARE wonderful and caring and strong and selfless people to continue to put themselves out there despite it?

        Or if you’re a journalist or interviewer and Harry comes on your show and talks about the hate campaign and the racism and the misogyny that the RF and the BM are lobbing at his wife, all while they pretend racism doesn’t even exist in the UK and therefore Meghan must be making this all up to make the RF look bad, and then your Twitter feed is immediately full of racist hateful comments after the interview airs, doesn’t that just prove to you that Harry obviously wasn’t lying or making it up or exaggerating?

        How do the people who are attacking anyone and everyone the Sussexes work with for “believing the lies that Harry tells about the RF being hateful and racist” think that they’re helping? They’re starting a racist hate campaign to prove that there isn’t a racist hate campaign and it’s really *harry and meghan* who are the haters? What?

      • Lorelei says:

        Right? Have they not seen it happen enough times yet for them to know that in many cases, they are accomplishing the exact opposite of what they’re aiming for? I’ve read about *so many* people who’ve proclaimed they never paid one bit of attention to the BRF, but their treatment of Meghan was so egregious that now they’re staunch Sussex supporters and the revile the monarchy. But sure, stick to the original game plan. Best of luck with that.

  34. tamsin says:

    Is Newsweek a sister publication of the British tabs? Their remark about Harry sounds like it is coming out of the mouth of one of the odious Royal Reporters. Harry, it seem, is just trying to support his family and do his work. Trying to outgun his brother? Projection much?

  35. ChattyzCath says:

    But ‘duty’ but ‘respect’ but ‘honour’ ….

  36. Over it says:

    What is this utter shit about framing themselves as victims? They are not framing themselves, they are infact the real victims of a four plus years smear racist sexist campaign to destroy them because they are beautiful and smart and not lazy. These people will never admit that they are indeed racist and that they were out to get rid of Meghan from the start because she is black.

  37. Here4tea says:

    Wet lettuce could outgun William and Kate.

  38. Jaded says:

    Reputation Management Consultants is clearly on the side of the BRF with this nonsense. Here’s what their website says:

    “The Company offers new strategies and techniques that repair existing damages, clear your reputation, and safeguards against new attacks. Reputation Management Consultants serves individuals, professionals, executives, politicians, leaders, celebrities, individuals, and companies.”

    I can picture Willnot and Kannot, and even Charles, yelling for their lackeys to “Get these people on the damn phone ASAP!!!” as we speak.

  39. teecee says:

    Maybe Harry and Megan aren’t specifically thinking about “outgunning” the royals, but their publicists are working to counteract the royal narrative, which is good because that is their job. I don’t think H&M have the liberty of “just living their lives” because the royals and the UK press won’t let them. So I think it’s good that they have people on their team (publicists) who know how to fight for them.

    • teecee says:

      To explain myself further, the royals think of themselves as a brand, and of the Sussexes as threatening to the brand. (And not Andy, but that’s another story.) Because of that, a lot of royal PR effort is spent on tarnishing or diminishing the Sussex brand. The Sussexes can’t just lie down and take it and hope it stops. The Sussexes have shown they’re willing to throw punches through official channels against the bigger lies (the bullying claims.) But I think they’re starting to see that they can’t ignore the smaller, petty royal lies anymore, which are attempting an assault of “death by a thousand cuts.” That’s where the publicists come in.

      IMO, of course.

  40. fluffy_bunny says:

    I’m not sure I’ve ever seen pictures of Meghan walking behind Harry. I only recall them being hand in hand when ever they were photographed in the UK.

  41. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    I don’t think the monarchy even has a heart that can be stabbed. They commit (or protect) rape, racism, and grift.

  42. Robin Samuels says:

    Those cold-hearted, blood-sucking humans who prefer to be known as an institution, not a family, are concerned about being stabbed in the heart?
    Have you noticed that their experts are usually older men who probably haven’t read a recent article about branding?
    Being a member of the BRF is synonymous with being in a cult. Harry has undergone some de-programming. His presentations on The Me You Can’t See are pretty revealing. William is trapped, and under that tough-guy facade, he’s frightened.
    Charles’s failure to retain Harry and Meghan in that institution as youth ambassadors is an indication (IMO) that he is not prepared to lead in modern times. Real leaders squeeze their toothpaste!

  43. val says:

    Too bad they’re like vampires and will keep coming back!

  44. Lizzie says:

    I wonder how much it burns the rf and the rr that even though they have screamed that H&M are irrelevant relentlessly for years and here they show up on the Times 100 most influential list. I mean they thought that they were influential and H&M have proved them wrong in spades for whole world to see. I think the fact that they have shown how meaningless their existence is must be the real dagger to the heart.

  45. Fanciful says:

    he does not care what workshy Willi is doing! He’s not trying to outgun anyone, he’s simply securing his life with his wife. hell, Nanny maria outguns willileaks on a bad day. the only people obsessing and attempting to outgun are the lambridges. Kate doing an event (WEARING PANTS!!! BUT PROTOCOL!!) on H’s birthday! and No one, not even the stans paid attention. And btw Kate walks in front of Will ALL the time. she’s done it for years .

    also, these are photos not working royal events where there is some protocol depending on who is there. they are no longer working royals, they do not need to follow that outdated bs anymore. Protocol is for working royals, they left.

  46. Kim says:

    The entire white Commonwealth is against H&M. There was some petty commentary by Australian TV about the TIME cover that was so petty and out of touch.

    I DO NOT GET how the BRF and most especially CH have played H&M’s Declaration of Independence so incorrectly. Charles wanted a scaled down monarchy. And he is correct in wanting that. He should be so proud of both boys—one is the heir and the other has carved out an honorable global humanitarian role. Contrasting his family with the clown show that is Andrew, Charles’s people and their press operation have gotten everything wrong. The BRF could once again rule the world, albeit in a different way, but their insularity will ultimately cause a complete implosion. They are a bunch of Bitter Betty’s on the Bitter Bus with the tone-deafness of a maskless Karen Convention.

  47. blunt talker says:

    Her father just went off script-he said he was encouraged to stop the wedding of Harry and Meghan-if every fairminded publication would run this statement-the case is closed about the royal family being loving and fair people.

  48. Tamara W says:

    I was curious who this Eric Schiffer guy who claims to know what Harry was “gunning for” so I looked up his website, it’s hilarious! It looks and sounds like he’s trying to get a date, is super vague and his claim to fame is being a commentator like he was in this story. If you click on the blog & gallery there’s nothing there. The equity firm he claims to head, “Patriarch Equity” looks like a total scam, there’s no contact information for a CEO, President, etc.

    • 2cents says:

      This article by Alex Shephard from August 18, 2020 “Newsweek and the Rise of the Zombie Magazine” is an interesting report on
      “How a decaying legacy magazine is being used to launder right-wing ideas and conspiracy theories.”

      It reminds me of Rupert Murdoch, who bought the quality newspaper The Times and turned it into his propaganda tool, destroying their ethical journalism.

      The problem is that people still associate these brands with their illustrious past and are unaware of the recent editorial shift. Given the debate in this thread it’s obvious how easily these zombie outlets can influence public opinion in a negative way.

      https://newrepublic.com/article/158968/newsweek-rise-zombie-magazine

  49. anotherlily says:

    Philip was also a blood royal. He took to walking behind the Queen, rather than beside her, on official occasions because society in the 1950s was still based on the idea that men were more important than women. Men were paid more than women for the same work. There were no women newsreaders because it was felt women couldn’t talk about serious events. Also, it was and still is, common courtesy for a man escorting a woman to walk beside her or slightly behind. This is a protective gesture and an acknowledgement that most men are physically stronger than most women. Philip didn’t want people to greet him before they greeted the Queen.

    The Queen’s father waked beside his wife and often guided his wife in front of him. He treated his daughters in the same courteous way. It was on official occasions involving formal greetings and handshakes that the King took precedence.

  50. Ann says:

    Is that a promise?